TWO Iraqi-born professionals living in Wales have returned from a humanitarian trip to the war-torn country convinced the US-British invasion had made living conditions there worse.

TWO Iraqi-born professionals living in Wales have returned from a humanitarian trip to the war-torn country convinced the US-British invasion had made living conditions there worse.

Both said the misery they observed has caused them nightmares that will stay with them forever.

The two - one an engineer, the other a university lecturer - travelled to Baghdad from Cardiff with the Human Relief Foundation charity, taking medical supplies and equipment.

But they say that despite a wish on their part to steer clear of political controversy, what they saw had compelled them to speak out.

One of the men, a civil engineer who has lived in South Wales for 26 years, preferred to remain anonymous because he fears reprisals.

He said, "When I watch TV and see the Prime Minister of Britain and the president of the USA talking about Iraq, I think they are talking about a different country from the one I visited. The situation I saw with my own eyes is not being reported here.

"Tony Blair, who I am ashamed to say I voted for in 1997, has told the House of Commons that schools in Iraq are open, that hospitals are open, that people have electricity and water and that life is back to normal.

"Well I know, because I have been there, that hospitals and schools are shut, that many people have no electricity or water and that there is no security.

"American troops are going around on tanks telling people they will not get electricity for as long as people resist their occupation.

"Ten million are unemployed in Iraq. We keep being told that people are now free and in a democracy, but there is nothing but human misery and cruelty.

"People told me that women and men were being sexually harassed by American soldiers. No one I spoke to wants the Americans there.

"The Americans have different priorities to the local people. While ordinary people want basic amenities like electricity and water restored, the Americans are more interested in finding so-called weapons of mass destruction. This has led to people hating the occupiers as much as they hated Saddam Hussein.

"I feel very sorry for the British troops who were killed last week and for their families, but I blame the people like Blair who sent them to Iraq in the first place.

"As I know from living here for such a long time, the great majority of people in Britain are peace-loving and do not want to hurt anyone. But the actions of the British Government have made people from Britain into potential targets all over the world."

Dr Faris Alnaemi, a lecturer at Cardiff University who has lived in Wales for 14 years, also joined the trip.

He said, "The conditions we witnessed are unimaginable. We were delivering supplies to the Al-Yarmook Hospital in Baghdad, which is about the same size as the Heath Hospital in Cardiff.

"It was in the region of 60 C and there was no electricity and consequently no air-conditioning. Conditions in the intensive care unit were really unbelievable. We were told that conditions were better in the south, where the British are.

"The Americans don't see these humanitarian issues as their number one priority. Recently they brought in 1,400 extra inspectors in a bid to find weapons of mass destruction, completely without success. If you brought in 1,400 doctors and technicians you could make a real difference to people's lives.

"People are really quite despairing there. They say the Americans are the most technically advanced in the world, and if they can't put things right surely nobody can. But it was obvious that there is a real lack of communication between the troops and agencies like the Red Cross on the ground.

"While we were there we saw a 48-hour delay in getting a back-up electricity generator going simply because of the difficulties in getting messages to the right people.

"There is a desperate need for improvements to take place quickly, and we appeal to everyone to put as much pressure on the US and British Governments as they can, getting them to change their priorities so basic needs like water and electricity come first."